Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-02
THE SOLID SOUTH.
THE UNION LEAGUE DISCUSSES HOW
TO BREAK IT.
The National Council In Session -Pream.
BILE and Resolutions Adopted
and Working Committee
Appointed.
LBr telegraph to Tho nlsnn.ch.1

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The Ma
tional Council of the National Union
League met here to-day and elected the
following officers: President, General
Charles IL. Grosvenor, Of Ohio. Vice
Presidents: William X. Chandler, OF
New Hampshire G. A. Boutelle, of
Maine James s. Negley, of Pennsyl-
yania Nathan Goff, Of West Virginia
J. J.. O'Hara, Of North Carolina; Il.
G. Houck, OF Tennessee b. X. Bruce,
Of Mississippi; Thomas r. Rich, OF
Maryland; Lewis Mckenzie, of Vir-
ginia j. S. Robertson, OF Ohio. Cor
responding Secresarys John Il. Bryant,
Of Georgia; Treasurer, A. NJ. Clapp,
Of the District of Columbia.
A long preamble and resolutions were
adopted. The preamble says The
Democratic party has secured control
of the House of Representatives and
the presidency by fraud and violence
and seeks control of the Senate by SINH
lar means. BY fraud and violence the
South was made solidly Democratic
and is held solid. How to Sc
cure a government of the peO-
pie and by the people, giving to
each qualified voter the privilege OF
casting Just one ballot at each election
and having the result of the elections
honestly announced is the great ques-
ton in American politics. To secure
such government it is necessary that
the Republican party should control
both houses Of Congress and the presi-
dency. TO accomplish that object it
is important, if not necessary, to
increase the Republican strength in
the southern States. How to strength
en- the Republican party at the South
is, therefore, a question of the first
importance. In consideration of this
question it is important to have in
mind the fact that no Republican has
been returned as a men Der of the Fiji
Itch Congress from a district in which
the Republican voters are mainly color
I'd, except in Virginia, and in that State
the white Republican strength was
sufficient to secure something like fair
election. In a word, the general state
ment may be made that the Democrats
of the South have by fraud and violence
suppressed the coloredvote when neces-
sary to give them power, and that the
only districts held by the Republicans
are those in which the white Republi-
can strength is suflicientto secure some
thing like n fair election. 1t follows,
therefore, that the only reasonable hope
that the Republicans have of breaking
the solid South in the immediate
future is in sections where We
now have considerable white Repub-
lican strength and where there
IS reasonable hope that with proper eff
fort we may add to that strength from
the white voters. Stretching from
Pennsylvania and Ohio nearly to the
Gulf of Mexico is a mountainous sec
ton whose inhabitants were for the
NEST part nonslayeholders. The
Icople were farmers, not plant
ers. During the war majority
of the people were loyal to
tie Union. This section embraces
" cst Virginia and portions of Mary
land, Kentucky, Virginia, North Caro-
Ina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
In this section the Republican party
now has considerable strength. Indeed
all Republicans elected to the Fiftieth
Congress, except the members from
Missouri, are from some portion of this
section. Here the Republican party
made its only gains in the South at the
last election and here with proper eff
fort the solid South may be broken.
The National Union League is pecu-
liarly fitted to lead in the necessary
preparatory work : therefore
Resolred, That the League will labor
to break the solid South on the line
above indicated.
RcsolUod, II at the presidentappoint
a committee of fifteen, of which he
shall be chairman, who shall have full
authority to carry into effect the policy
of the League.
Under this resolution the president
appointed the following gentlemen a.
such committee G.. H. Grosvenor (oi
obicio), of Ohio; w. Z. Chandler, OF
New Hampshire James S. Negley, OF
Pennsylvania Nathan Goff, of West
Virginia J. +. O'IIara, of North Caro-
lima A. VI. Clapp, of the District OF
Columbia; j. i. Bryant, of Georgia
Green =. Raum, of Illinois; l.. c.
Houck, of Tennessee; G. A. Boutelle,
of Maine John r. Lynch, of Missis-
sippi; j. D. Brady, of Virginia H.
Pctiibone. of Tennessee Il. w. Fox,
Of the District of Columbia ; j. r.
Ricb, Of Maryland.